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Spiritual leadership and work–family conflict: mediating effects of employee well-being

William D. Hunsaker (School of Business Administration, Kyungpook National University, Daegu, Republic of Korea)

Personnel Review

ISSN: 0048-3486

Article publication date: 18 April 2020

Issue publication date: 13 January 2021

1468

Abstract

Purpose

This study examines how employee well-being, in combination with spiritual leadership, helps mitigate the negative effects of work–family conflict.

Design/methodology/approach

This study followed an explanatory research design to explain the relationship between spiritual leadership and work–family conflict. The approach was based on a cross-sectional survey of 278 workers from diverse industries and functional roles in South Korea's manufacturing and service sectors. Structural equation modeling and hierarchical regression analysis were used to test hypothesized relationships.

Findings

Results confirmed that spiritual leadership and employee well-being inversely influenced work–family conflict, in terms of work-to-family and family-to-work role interference. Furthermore, employee well-being fully mediated both of these relationships.

Practical implications

This study suggests that organizational competitiveness can be enhanced through a dual approach of organizational strategies and human resource training that cultivate employee well-being and a family-friendly environment. Notably, this study clarifies the value of leadership practices to both trigger and enhance employee well-being through a sense of meaningfulness in and at work.

Originality/value

This study expands the scope of our current understanding of how employee well-being is an effective mechanism in helping employees cope with work–family role conflict. Moreover, the study demonstrates the role that leadership practices, beyond the narrow interpretation of perceived supervisor support, play in helping employees cope with role conflict. Finally, this study enhances the field of workplace spirituality by examining the influence of spiritual leadership on employees' spiritual well-being and work–family conflict, which has not been currently addressed in the workplace spirituality field.

Keywords

Citation

Hunsaker, W.D. (2021), "Spiritual leadership and work–family conflict: mediating effects of employee well-being", Personnel Review, Vol. 50 No. 1, pp. 143-158. https://doi.org/10.1108/PR-04-2019-0143

Publisher

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Emerald Publishing Limited

Copyright © 2020, Emerald Publishing Limited

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